Executive Summary
Microsoft is releasing this security advisory to inform customers that an update to the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine addresses a security vulnerability that was reported to Microsoft.
The update addresses a vulnerability that could allow remote code execution if the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine scans a specially crafted file. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could execute arbitrary code in the security context of the LocalSystem account and take control of the system.
The Microsoft Malware Protection Engine ships with several Microsoft antimalware products. See the
Affected Software section for a list of affected products. Updates to the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine are installed along with the updated malware definitions for the affected products. Administrators of enterprise installations should follow their established internal processes to ensure that the definition and engine updates are approved in their update management software, and that clients consume the updates accordingly.
Typically, no action is required of enterprise administrators or end users to install updates for the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine, because the built-in mechanism for the automatic detection and deployment of updates will apply the update within 48 hours of release. The exact time frame depends on the software used, Internet connection, and infrastructure configuration...
Suggested Actions
Verify that the update is installed
Customers should verify that the latest version of the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine and definition updates are being actively downloaded and installed for their Microsoft antimalware products.
For more information on how to verify the version number for the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine that your software is currently using, see the section, "Verifying Update Installation", in
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2510781.
For affected software, verify that the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine version is 1.1.10701.0 or later.
If necessary, install the update
Administrators of enterprise antimalware deployments should ensure that their update management software is configured to automatically approve and distribute engine updates and new malware definitions. Enterprise administrators should also verify that the latest version of the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine and definition updates are being actively downloaded, approved and deployed in their environment.
For end-users, the affected software provides built-in mechanisms for the automatic detection and deployment of this update. For these customers, the update will be applied within 48 hours of its availability. The exact time frame depends on the software used, Internet connection, and infrastructure configuration. End users that do not wish to wait can manually update their antimalware software.
For more information on how to manually update the Microsoft Malware Protection Engine and malware definitions, refer to
Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2510781.
